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The EU’s Role in Global Development Aid

28/04/2026
The EU’s Role in Global Development Aid

The European Union remains the world’s largest development donor, but the latest data shows a system under increasing pressure. In 2024, the EU and its Member States collectively provided approximately €88.7 billion in Official Development Assistance (ODA), maintaining around 42% of global aid (European External Action Service, 2025).

This reflects a decline from the €95.9 billion recorded in 2023 (Council of the European Union, 2024), signalling a downward trend. At the institutional level, EU bodies, including the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, delivered about $27.7 billion in 2024 (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2025).

The global context is even more concerning. Total development aid fell to around $212–214 billion in 2024, while early 2025 estimates indicate a drop to $174.3 billion — a 23% decline, the largest contraction on record (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2025).

Within the EU, progress toward the 0.7% GNI target remains limited. The EU’s ODA ratio declined to approximately 0.47% in 2024, with several Member States reducing commitments (CONCORD Europe, 2025).

Despite these pressures, EU development aid remains structurally significant. It combines financial support with governance reform, institutional development, and long-term partnerships, positioning the EU as a key actor in sustainable development and global stability.

The project “Towards an open, fair and sustainable Europe in the world – EU Presidency Project 2024-2026” is co-funded by the European Union and implemented by Global Focus, Grupa Zagranica, CARDET, and CONCORD, the European Confederation of NGOs working on sustainable development and international cooperation. Project Number: 2024 / 459-484. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of CARDET and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

References

  • European External Action Service (2025) Annual Report
  • Council of the European Union (2024) ODA Report
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2025) Development Co-operation Data
  • CONCORD Europe (2025) AidWatch Report

Dr Marinos Papaioakeim,
Strategic Partnerships and Development Lead at CARDET

The article was published at the PolicyPress.

The project “Towards an open, fair and sustainable Europe in the world – EU Presidency Project 2024-2026” is  co-funded  by the European Union and implemented by Global Focus, Grupa Zagranica, CARDET, and CONCORD, the European Confederation of NGOs working on sustainable development and international cooperation. Project Number: 2024 / 459-484. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of CARDET and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.  

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